Below is a photo of Clyde Wright, Peter Davies and Richard Czaban of AHA MEDIA and W2’s Fearless City Mobile Program ready to do some mobile media event coverage. This photo was taken outside of Vancouver Public Library where the Women’s Voices at the Table for International Women’s Day in Vancouver 2010 was about to begin :)

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Below is a video of Miriam Palacios of Oxfam Canada welcoming us to Women’s Voices at the Table at International Women’s Day Conference in Vancouver on Saturday March 6, 2010

This video was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera – Panasonic DMC-ZS3. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

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Below is a video of the Ranging Grannies singing at Women’s Voices at the Table for International Women’s Day in Vancouver on March 6, 2010

Ranging Grannies of Vancouverhttp://www.vcn.bc.ca/ragigran/
This video was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera – Panasonic DMC-ZS3. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

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Below is a photo, Lianne Payne speaks about working with projects and organizations with a social and cultural mandate. April Smith is a social media maker and community advocate working as Project Coordinator for W2’s Fearless City Mobile program and AHA MEDIA. Eileen Gillette researches accessibility, the digital divide, and information policy.

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Below is a photo is Richard Czaban, Clyde Wright and Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA and W2’s Fearless City Mobile Program at the Media Table for Women’s Voices at the Table for International Women’s Day Conference 2010

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Below is a photo of April Smith, Lianne Payne and Mo Simpson at Women’s Voices at the Table for International Women’s Day Conference 2010

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Below is a photo of April Smith, Andrea Reimer – Vancouver City Councillor and her Daughter, Friend at Women’s Voices at the Table for International Women’s Day Conference 2010

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Below is a photo of the International Women’s Day conference in Vancouver

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Below is a video of Earle Peach and Solidarity Notes Choir at Women’s Voices at the Table for the International Women’s Day Conference on Saturday March 6 , 2010 in Vancouver

This video was filmed by Richard Czaban of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera – Fujifilm S200EXR. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

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Below is a photo of Lauren Gill and April Smith at Women’s Voices at the Table for International Women’s Day Conference 2010

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Below is a photo and video montage with highlights from the International Women’s Day Rally and Conference on Saturday March 6 , 2010 in Vancouver

This photo and video montage was created by Richard Czaban of AHA MEDIA and filmed on a New Media camera – Fujifilm S200EXR. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

” We all know this blog belongs to the Mayor of London (although detached it is still his in spirit), and before that was based out of the cosmopolitan megalopolis of Henley, but for a moment I’d like to divert your attention to my own town, indeed my own neighborhood. I’d like to introduce you to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

@Raincoaster writes ” With an average life expectancy in the mid-forties (thanks to disease, addiction, and the interlocking social and physical problems arising from substandard- or no housing), the DTES (Downtown Eastside) has been an archetypal skid row since the days in the last century when lumber was, in fact, skidded in the mud down the street on its way to the sawmill because wagons were for the rich folk.

Now, after more than a century of struggling with the issue, I’m proud to say that Vancouver has eliminated homelessness.

We anticipate increased life expectancy (as much as thirty years for DTES residents), a significant drop in crime (particularly violent crime), and an estimated $5000 per person “housing dividend,” reflecting the difference in social service expenditures between the housed and the homeless.

If a Canadian may toot her city’s own horn, this is truly an amazing accomplishment and Mayor Gregor (Robertson), Premier Gordon Campbell, City Hall, social service agencies, advocacy groups and officials at all levels should be very, very proud. I salute them. Who can even imagine how it must feel to know, unequivocally, that you’ve changed the world for the better.

Here is the official Homelessness is Over press release, via the Pivot Legal Society, a great organization whose mandate is to ensure that the laws of the nation apply equally to all, and who are always on top of positive (and negative) developments in housing for the homeless in Vancouver:

Vancouver’s housing crisis is finally over. Today Ray Solda, Vancouver’s last homeless person, moved into his room in the Kansas Hotel, a new social housing building funded by the provincial government. Government officials and Canadians everywhere today are celebrating the end of homelessness in Vancouver, a city that has struggled with a homelessness crisis for years.

Today’s announcement is the result of a number of key investments made by the provincial government to build social and supportive housing as part of their visionary comprehensive housing strategy. Despite the up-front costs, government and experts alike are confident that ending homelessness in Vancouver will actually save money over the long term.

“The years of spiralling rates of homelessness, derelict hotels, over-crowded shelters and laws punishing those without a safe place to live are going to be remembered as a dark page in this province’s history” says Laura Track, Pivot’s housing campaigner. “But the way this government changed course and resolved the crisis is a testament to what is possible when governments show real leadership and determination to make positive social change.”

Already, Vancouver is being held up as model for the rest of the country. Governments around the world are looking to the province for guidance in addressing homelessness in their jurisdictions. When asked what role she felt advocacy work had in ending homelessness, Track commented: “This accomplishment is the result of people coming together and saying they would not settle for anything less than an end to homelessness. It took everyday people saying yes, I will welcome social housing into my neighbourhood and taxpayers recognizing that it makes financial sense to tackle homelessness. Finally, it took governments hearing the call and making the decision to act.”

Once again: simply amazing. This is an incredible example to the rest of the world.

BCGEU is holding their fall Labour Institute in early November, which is a three-day school with an academic stream and a campaigns stream. This time BCGEU’s campaigns stream is just for young workers (under 30).

April Smith will be speaking on how she got involved in social justice activism, how she uses social media in social justice activism and why it’s valuable, and a bit about the projects she’s worked on or are working on currently.

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Below is a photo of April Smith standing by ” Today Events” where it mentions BCGEU is in the Seymour Room

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Below is a photo of Doug Dykens welcoming the BCGEU members!

In this video is an Introduction to BCGEU Young Workers event at Holiday Inn in North Vancouver with Doug Dykens and Leah Squance, where April Smith of AHA MEDIA is to give a speech on how she uses social media for social justice activism.

This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

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Below is a photo of April Smith speaking:

I feel that using social media nowadays is a very fast, effective and inexpensive way to engage your audience, whether it be a targeted one or a more broad spectrum. One can control how your information is given out and how you and your company is represented. You no longer have to wait for the traditional media or PR agents to talk about you.. You can do that yourself in the best possible way… You are your own best cheerleader – It bridges the gaps, democratizes media information and helps bring everyone together in a dynamic interactive way – through a participatory way online.

There is obviously a lot more to be said and learned about this. Here is my best advice:

“The best way to learn is to get actively engaged and I hope that I have inspired you!”

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Below is a photo of April Smith receiving a BCGEU gift bag from Leah Squance after presenting her speech for social media for social justice

AHA MEDIA thanks BCGEU http://www.BCGEU.ca for the inviatation to come and present social media for social justice activism to BCGEU Young Workers. We appreciate the BCGEU gift bag filled with BCGEU items! :)

BCGEU is holding their fall Labour Institute in early November, which is a three-day school with an academic stream and a campaigns stream. This time BCGEU’s campaigns stream is just for young workers (under 30).

April Smith will be speaking on how she got involved in social justice activism, how she uses social media in social justice activism and why it’s valuable, and a bit about the projects she’s worked on or are working on currently.

Below is an excerpt from April’s speech:

My future hopes and plans are if I can turn out more empowered, more knowledgeable and informed people who are aware of our social justice activist issues, I would be happy. Working with others, I would love to bring together all communities to work, learn and grow from each other, I feel that would be a wonderful thing. I am hoping that through social media collaborations through the online and offline worlds through coming together for conferences like these and meeting one another, I will be able to inspire others and we can empower each other. As a young single marginalized woman from the Downtown Eastside greatly affected by social justice issues, I hope that with all of us working together, we can build towards a brighter future with new media, social media and technology!